Method of assembling spoked wheels.



W. J. K-ALTZ.

METHOD OF ASSEMBLlNG SPOKED WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 26, 1914.

LA 89,827. Patented July 4, 1916.

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WILLIAM J. KALTZ, OF WINDSOR, ONTARIb, CANADA, ASSIGNOR T0 KELSEY WHEEL COMPANY, 015 DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

METHOD OF ASSEMBLIN G SPOKED WHEELS.

messes,

Application filed October 26,1914. Serial No. 868,685. E

T 0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM J. KALTZ, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Windsor, in the Province of Ontario and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Assembling Spoked lVheels, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to the manufacture of spoked wheels and more particularly wheels designed for use upon motor vehicles.

It is the object of the invention to simplify the assembly of such wheels, dispensing with a number of operations heretofore deemed necessary.

The apparatus herein described and illustrated for carrying out my novel process is made the subject-matter of my copending application, Serial No. 868,686, filed October 26, 1914. i

In the drawings: Figure 1 is'a vertical central section through said apparatus; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the felly sections with the spokes in engagement therewith before assembly with the rim; Fig. 3 is a section through the wheel after engagement with the rim; Fig. 4 is a cross section showing the manner of initially supporting the felly sections; and Fig. 5 is a cross section showing the stop for centering the rim with the fell Iii the present state of the art, wheels for motor vehicles are usually formed of a pair of wooden semi-circular felly sections having spokes engaged therewith, said sections being held together by a continuous metallic rim into which they are pressed. The usual method of assembling is, first, to place the two sections in a clamping machine, where radial pressure is applied to the felly opposite each of the spokes, forcing the inner ends of said spokes in close proximity. A false hub is then bolted to the inner ends of the spokes, after which the sections are removed from the press and are placed in a lathe for trimming the periphery of the felly to a true circle. The next operation is the compressing of the clamped sections into the metallic rim, after which the false hub is removed.

Where the above-described method is employed it is necessary to provide sufficient surplus stock in the felly sections for the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. July a, rain.

air} it... trimming operation. Furthermore when the radial pressure is relieved from the felly there is a tendency for the latter to spring away from the spokes, so that when mounted in the rim all of the spokes are not under equal compression. A further disadvantage of the method is that it requires a number of distinct operations in separate machines for the assembly of each wheel. With my im- 4 proved method I overcome these objections by pressing the felly sections with the spokes in engagement therewith directly into the metallic rim, thereby avoiding the necessity for the surplus stock in the felly, as well as cuttingout several operations.

As shown A represents the bed of a press and B the reciprocatory plunger.

C is an annular member mounted upon the bed and having a tapering or conical cross section, the upper end of which is of suiiicient size to receive the felly blanks, while the lower end is of a diameter substantially corresponding with that of the metallic wheel rim. The member 0 is cut away below its tapered portion so as to permit of the lateral insertion of the wheel rim D, as shown in Fig.1, and suitable means such as stop E is provided for properly centering this rim with the member C.

F is a follower plate of a diameter sulficient to bear against the felly sections but slightly less than the minimum diameter of the member 0.

G are pins or other guide devices depend- 1 ing from the follower F and adapted to engage one spoke of each felly section to properly guide the same.

G is a stop upon the bed A, serving to limit downward motion of the felly sections.

To assemble a wheel the operator first places a pair of complementary felly sections HI having the spokes J in engagement therewith into the upper end of the member C beneath the follower F, and one of the spokes J is engaged with the depending guide pins G on the follower. A rim D is also inserted in the recess beneath the tapered portion of the member C and centered by the guide E. The plunger B is then depressed, causing the plate F to bear equally upon all portions of the felly sections H I, forcing them down in the tapering or conical portion of the member C. This will place a radial pressure upon each of the spokes and will also bend the felly rim. The rim D before being placed in the into a true circular form and reduce it to a diameter exactly corresponding to the machine is preferably heated to a suitable temperature for properly expanding it so that after the felly sections are pressed into engagement therewith the contraction of the metal will cause a firm clamping engagement. Furthermore, the heated metal is more pliable and consequently if thereis any irregularity or departure from the true circle the telly, which has been contracted to a true circular form, on being forced into the rim will cause the latter to assume a corresponding form.

For initially supporting the telly sections yieldable dogs K are arranged in recesses in the ring C, as shown in Fig. 4.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The method of assembling spoked wheels, comprising the engagement of the spokes with felly sections, placing complementary felly sections together, circumfer-- entially contracting said i'elly sections, and simultaneously pressing the same laterally into the metallic rim.

2. The method of assembling. spoked wheels, comprising the placing together of complementary spoked felly sections, and forcing said sections through a tapering guide into the wheel rim.

3. The method of assembling spoked Wheels, comprising the placing together of complementary spoked felly sections, forcing said sections laterally through a tapering annulus into engagement with the wheel rim.

WILLIAM J. KALTZ.

Witnesses JAMES P. BARRY, HENRI E. BOWMAN.

4. The method of assembling spoked- 

